25 October 2006

Marrakech Express: Tango Alpha


Tango Alpha reports from adventures with the Berbers of North Africa:

"What does an American Indian do when the summer is starting to come to a close?

He goes to the lands where Indian summers never end. Marrakech, where rich Berber tribal culture meets French-European decadence. Tango Alpha recommends relaxing at the hammam after your 100+ degree excursion.

Marrakechian daylight tours are essential as are nightly soirées at Le Palais Rhoul.

A private tent in the luxe gardens and late night drinks at the outdoor L’Abyssen club make this spot a must for any modern nomad to purge his sins in the midst of the traditional Gnawa music. If you want a desert tent journey on camelback or a mid-Atlas mountain Berber trek you must have a guide who speaks a minimum of four languages and has a 2nd degree black belt to be safe and comfortable, and Mohamed Chaaouane is the man for this job. Never mind the Souk owners haggling you for more cash or any corrupt police trying to detain your from your journey if Mr. Chaaouane is with you. If your desert oasis of nightly hedonism isn't enough try handing out some Ben Franklins to the kids working amongst the Souks and watch the bright sun get brighter in their faces."

+Le Palais Rhoul, Marrakech + 212 24 32 94 94 95.
+La Maison Arabe, 1, Derb Assehbe- Bab Doukkala, Marrakech Médina, +212 24 38 70 10.
+There's Always: La Mamounia, Avenue Bab Jdid 40 000 Marrakech, +212 24 38 86 00.
+W4 Suggests: Marrakech: Guide: Mohamed Chaaouane : +212 61.60.1149.
+W4 Photog: Marrakech.

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07 October 2006

Boris, Beck and the Bayou: New Orleans

Boris escapes the Northeast and floats down the Bayou to New Orleans. While Boris was in the Big Easy, Beck's new album which dropped early this week was playing in the W4 music department. The above video for "Cellphone's Dead" features the always necessary fur hat wearing girl doing aerobics accompanied by a spaced-out looking man playing drums in brightly colored poncho - ideal party companions. Beck, Boris and the Big Easy - here you go:

"Accomodations
: The Windsor Court is pretty good, but needs some TLC. I reccommend getting a 1 bedroom suite.

Breakfast: Cafe Du Monde serves excellent fried beignets covered in powdered sugar and very good coffee (the secret is supposedly the use of chickory).

Lunch: Zara's, which is a shady supermarket selling absolutely nothing healthy produces delicious roast beef Po Boys. The roast beef is homemade and served on a baguette and covered in mayo, gravy, pickles, mustard, and just about everything else one could imagine. A reccommended lunch from here is one of said roast beef Po Boys, a package of Zapps sour cream & creole onion chips, and a Long Boys coconut candy.

Dinner:

Cochon is an excellent dining spot although super casual. The best items on the menu were the fried boudin (deep-fried sausage balls) with pickled peppers; the pork rillette (an amazing liverwurst meets pate creation) with mustard and pickles; and then either the rabbit and dumplings or the Lousiana cochon (that's pig to you cityfolk) with turnips, cabbage, and cracklins. I also admired the fact that one can smoke in the restaurant in-between courses of this mighty fine food.

Clancy's was a more elegant dinner destination with as good or better food. Go for the fried oysters with melted brie, the smoked soft shell crab with crabmeat, topped off by a bowl of peppermint ice cream with homemade chocolate sauce.

Drinking:

Pat O' Brien's: this was a college bar near Bourbon Street I attended with one of our younger guides. It was a little odd: not too many college kids but plenty of creepy middle-aged men looking to attack college girls. I downed a few Hurricanes here (these are similar to a deadly sort of cherry slurpy).

Mayfair: a delightfully sleazy little bar. You get buzzed in and enter a lounge filled with stuffed alligators, christmas lights, and Mardi Gras beads. The owner is Ms. May who's a hard-living 75 year-old woman who has an apartment above the bar and doesn't take shit from anyone.

St. Joe's Bar: another shady little watering hole. There are pictures over the bar of the Baby Jesus and Moses flanked by Halloween-style severed heads and other body parts. The back room which is not air-conditioned is done up in a strange Middle-Eastern style.

All in all, I'd say I could really spend some time in New Orleans. My only reccommendations would be to upgrade the hotels, bring in some Napolitan clothing outposts, import some attractive Brazilian and Russian pros, and open a couple of high-end hotel bars serving vintage scotches. Other than that I'm sold.

Mimi, Dito, y familia,

Gracias por todo su bondad y generosidad.

Besos y abrazos,
Boris

+Windsor Court Hotel, 300 Gravier Street, New Orleans, +1 504 523-6000.
+Cafe du Monde, 1039 Decatur Street, New Orleans, +1 504 587-0835.
+Zara's, 2042 Prytania Street, New Orleans, +1 504 523-3658.
+Cochon, 930 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, +1 504 588-2123.
+Clancy's, 6100 Annunciation Street, New Orleans, +1 504 895-1111.
+Pat O' Brien's, 718 St. Peter Street, New Orleans, +1 504 525-4823.
+Mayfair, 1505 Amelia Street, New Orleans, +1 504 895-9163.
+St. Joe's Bar, 5535 Magazine Street, New Orleans +1 504 899-3744.

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